God's Love Story
Hey River,
This fall we have been learning in our Sunday teaching series about the image of Christ in us. We have read in the bible where God has made us his masterpiece and is forming Christ in us, our hope of glory. We have read that we are a new creation in Christ and that our old self is dead in Jesus and through the power of his resurrection we have new life and purpose in Him; old things have passed away and all things made new! But did you know that we are also God's Love Story?
2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NIV "2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts." Paul is drawing the reader back to a covenant that God made with Israel at Mount Sinai with the written ten commandments on tablets of stone. This covenant would remain on tablets of stone until a day prophesied that God by His spirit would create a new heart inside of us and a covenant of love that would last forever would be written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10).
This is God's Love Story of broken humanity meeting the pen of a merciful Savior. The only one who can blot out sin and write a new story for each and every one who chooses to place their trust in the author and finisher of our faith. In the old testament days the kings of Israel were instructed to write for themselves their own Torah or book of the law so that they would put it to memory and follow what it said and not go astray as they led the people. Deuteronomy 1:18-20 NIV "18 When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. 19 It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees 20 and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel." This is a beautiful picture of Jesus our King who writes his laws upon our hearts that we may prosper in all we do. His great love story of forgiveness and kindness. The mercy that triumphs over judgment. Written by the spirit and his own blood that speaks a better word than that of Able.
-Joel
Song List:
I Know a Name/I trust in God- https://youtu.be/2wJKiOEdUsk?si=FFnTPPHS9TZYBSGe and https://youtu.be/QS04WbSnxok?si=r_MUpesn5ue42nWU
Always on Time- https://youtu.be/H1L6zv_ilzY?si=MVvyJYAbq0ahEbfw
Wait on You- Elevation- https://youtu.be/K3TYG7Q_fj4?si=Uqx9tH1yVMv8G9j_
The Goodness of God- https://youtu.be/9sE5kEnitqE?is=PwInuYMDa6CV7G_B